Recent Literature

BANDING HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY

Saskatchewan banders: Harry L. Felt of verticalmistnets, funnel traps and spring-hoop Findlater, bander 007. C.S. Houston. 1991. Blue traps, Placing small pieces of net around small Jay 49:3-6. 863 UniversityDr., Saskatoon,Sask. bushesis also mentioned,but was not tested.) S7N 0J8 (Biographyof Saskatchewan'ssecond MKM bird bander, with some recoveries. Some of his identificationswere questionable.)MKM A comparison of three techniques for analyz- ing the arthropod diet of Plain Titmice and BANDING EQUIPMENT AND TECHNIQUES Chestnut-backedChickadees. P.K.Kleinties and D.L. Dahlsten. 1992. J. Field Ornithol. 63:276-285. Net poles.C.J. Vernon. 1991. Safring News20:32- Div. Biol. Control, Univ. California, Berkeley,CA 35. East London Mus., Box 11021, Southernwood 94720 (Comparisonof photography,fecal sac and 5213, SouthAfrica (Designs for light-weight,por- gut analysis.) RCT table aluminumpoles and a standor supportfor poleslocated in areas of hardground.) rvlKM Banding is infrequently associated with foot loss in Spotted Sandpipers. J.M. Reed and L.W. Blue Waxbill ring cemented to foot. R.D. Oring.1993. J. Field Ornithol.64:145-148. Dept. Medland.1992. SafringNews 21:21. Box30370, of Range, Wildl. & Forest, Univ. Nevada, 10000 Lilongue3, Malawi(The legof a previouslybanded Valley Rd., Reno, NV 89512 (A long-termstudy waxbill was found swollen around the band, with a indicatedleg lossof about 2% on the banded side. whitishcement [possibly birdlime] between the leg Leg loss also occurs on the unbanded side and and the band. The band was removed and re- on unbandedbirds, but at a lowerfrequency.) RCT placedby anotheron the other leg. The swollen leg was cleanedand on a subsequentrecovery, it Suitability of Velcro leg tags for marking Her- was almostback to normalsize.) MKM ring and Great Black-backed Gull chicks. P.M. Cavanagh and C.R. Groffon. 1993. J. Field A trial of coloured anodyzed metal bands in Orn/thol.64:195-198. Dept. of Forest& Wildl.Man- western Australia. R.J. Brown and W. Brown. age., 204 HoldsworthHall, Univ. of Massachuetts, 1992. Safring News 21:32-33. RMB 253 QMS, Amhurst,rvlA 01003-0130. (Useful for short-term Manjimup,Western Australia 6258, Australia(Ob- studies.) RCT servationsof color-bandedGrey Fantails and Fairy Wrenssuggest that blueis the mostreadily identi- A new multi-category classification of subcu- fied colorunder all weatherand lightconditions, taneous fat deposits of songbirds. A. Kaiser. whereas red and violet could sometimes be con- 1993. J. Field Ornithol. 64:246-255. Max Planck fusedand blackwas "useless."Anodyzed bands Inst.for Behav. Physiol.,Vogelwarte Radolfzell, D- were lessclear than celluloid bands. The experi- 7760 Radolfzell,Germany (Nine main classesand ment was too brief to test color fastness. A few four sub-classesare defined.) RCT detailsof Grey Fantailbiology, gleaned from ob- servationsof the bandedbirds, are included.)MKM IDENTIFICATION, MOLTS, PLUMAGES, WEIGHTS AND MEASURES Methods for trapping Quail Ortygospizaatricollis. R.J. Nuttall. 1992. Safring Subspecies and morphs of the Red-tailed News21:55-59.Natl. Mus., Box 266, Bloemfontein, Hawk. R. Pittaway.1993. Ont. Birds11:23-29. Box 9300, South Africa (Of four methodstested for 619, Minden,Ont. K0M2K0 (Reviewof distinguish- catchingthis open-area terrestrialspecies, a ing featuresof Eastern Red-tailedHawk, Western mistnetdropped horizontally over vegetation at or Red-tailed Hawk, Krider's Hawk and Harlan's over water was the most effective. Also tested were Hawk, with notes on their .)MKM Jul.-Sep. 1994 North American Bird Bander Page 103 Ageing & sexing Forest Canary brief discussionof features that distinguishfemale scotops. P. Barnard and R.J. Dowsett. 1991. and immature Black-chinnedfrom Ruby-throated Safring News 20:69-70. Dept. of Zool., Univ. of Hummingbirds.)MKM Namibia, P/Bag 13301, Windhoek, Namibia (No sexual dimorphismwas apparent in mass or vari- Ageing & Sexing. Miombo DoublecollaredSun- ous measurements, and the authors are not yet bird in Limbe. S. Lane. 1992. SafringNews21:39- sure at what age immaturesbegin to show plum- 40. Box51147, Limbe, Malawi (Measurementsand age differencesbetween sexes.) MKM plumagefeatures based on 198 males and 114 females captured in Malawi between 1987 and Pintailed Whydah Vidua macroura. P. Barnard. 1992.) MKM 1991. SafringNews 20:71-76. Dept. of Zool., Univ. of Namibia,P/Bag 13301,Windhoek, Namibia (Dis- The Little Shearwater (Puffinus assimilis)in the cussion of features that distinguishage and sex western NorthAtlantic. D.S. Lee. 1988. Am. within the species and that distinguishadult fe- 42:213-220. N.Carolina State Mus. of Nat. Hist., males from two specieswith similarfemales. Also Box 27647, Raleigh, NC 27611 (Includesdiscus- included are data on molt, bill color, measurements sion on differentiating Little Shearwaters from and differencesin males between populationsfrom Audubon'sand Manx Shearwaters.) MKM the southernCape and from central Transvaal.) MKM Weights and duration of stays in Ruffs Philomachus pugnax during spring migration: The practiced eye. Immature night-herons. K. some data from Italy. L. Serra, A. Magnani, and Kaufman. 1988. Am. Birds 42:169-171. American N. Baccetti.1990. Wader StudyGroup Bull. 58:19- Birds, 700 Broadway, New York, NY 10003 (Re- 24. Instituto Nazionales di Biologia della view of reliabilityof features useful in distinguish- Selveggina,via Ca' Fornecetta9, 40064 Ozzano ing immatureBlack-crowned from Yellow-crowned Emilio, Italy (Among 373 Ruffs banded, adults Night-herons.) MKM weighedmore than second-yearbirds of the same sex. Weights averaged considerablylower than Colouration, size and moult in the Redheaded those at most othersites, except springweights in . J.M.H. Raijmakers. 1992. Safring News Kenya. Dyed birds provided informationon dis- 21:3-6. Box 5067, Vanderbijlpark,1900, SouthAf- tances Ruffsforaged from a roostingarea locally, rica (Mensural data show greater variation in habitatuse, lengthor stay, and longermovements males, but considerableoverlap between sexes. to the Netherlands, Poland, and former Czecho- Contrary to some earlier statements, immature slovakia.) MKM males can be distinguishedfrom adult and imma- ture females readily by plumage. Considerable Recognizable forms. Subspecies of the Great detail on molt is included.) MKM Horned Owl. R. Pittaway.1993. Ont. Birds 11:64- 69. Box 619, Minden, Ont. K0M 2K0 (Taxonomy Juvenile Wiretailed Swallows in Malawi: and distinctive features of nominate Bubo mensural and moult data and observations on virginianusvirginianus, Snyder's B.v. scalariventris, use of parental nest-roost. R.D. Medland. 1992. Arctic B.v. subarcticus and Labrador B.v. Safring News 21:11-13. Box 30370, Lilorgue3, heterocnemis races of the Great Horned Owl.) Malawi(State of moltof juveniles in nestroost sug- MKM gests that adults allow members of at least their last two broods to share their nest roost, at least Measurements, weights and moult of waders when not actually nesting.) MKM on the Banc D'Arguin, Mauritania, October 1988. R. Lensinkand P.L. Meininger.1990. Wader First occurrence of Black-chinned Humming- Study Gorup Bull.58:35-48. WIWO, c/o Belfort7, bird in Alabama with notes on identification. 4336 J K Middleburg,The Netherlands(Measure- G.D. Jackson. 1988. Am. Birds 42:178-179. 2220 ments,weights and molt details are given for 789 Baneberry Dr., Birmingham,AL 35244 (Includes shorebirdsof one oystercatcher,three plover and

Page 104 North American Bird Bander Jul.-Sep. 1994 11scolopacid species, highlighting sexand/or age distinguishingfeatures of Slate-colored,Oregon, differences when warranted. Changes in weight Pink-sided,White-winged, and Gray-headedJun- and/or molt on birds captured twice are noted. cos.) MKM Recovery data are also given for Ringed Plover, Sanderling,RuddyTurnstone, Red Knot,and Com- NORTH AMERICAN BANDING RESULTS mon Tern banded at various European locations and returns of Ruddy Turnstones and Slender- Social hunting in broods of two and five Ameri- billedGulls previouslybanded locally.)MKM can Kestrels after fledging. D.E. Varlandand T.M. Loughlin.1992. J. RaptorRes. 26:74-80. U.S. Fish The practiced eye. Red-naped Sapsucker and & Wildl.Serv., Iowa Coop. Fish & Wildl. Serv., Iowa Yellow-bellied Sapsucker. K. Kaufman. 1988. Coop. Fish & Wildl. Res. Unit, 11 Science II, Iowa Am. Birds 42:348-350.American Birds, 700 Broad- State Univ., Ames, IA 50011 (Behavior and sur- way, New York, NY 10003(Throat color pattern vival of color-banded and some radio-tagged and back pattern are more reliable in distinguish- young of two- and five-sibling broods, some ing species than throat color.)MKM artificallymanipulated, were compared.)MKM

The primary moult of breeding Dunlins Calidris Successful year at Last Mountain Lake Bird alpina in the central Taymyr in 1989. W. Kania. Banding Station. A. Smith. 1992. Blue Jay News 1990. Wader Study Group Bull. 60:17-19. Stacja 93:11. Can. Wildl. Serv., 115 Perimeter Rd., Saska- OrnitologicznaIZPAN, 80-680 Gdansk 40, Poland toon, Sask. S7N 0X4 (Almost 6000 birds of 76 (Molt scores and measurements of 14 Dunlins species were banded at this Saskatchewan site trapped on their nests are tabulated. Moltingof during 1992.) MKM primariesstarted duringincubation and appears to progress more rapidlythan indicatedfrom molt Using geographic variation to predict breeding data collectedduring migration.) MKM locales of migrating Red-winged Blackbirds. G.M. Linz, J.M. Thompsonand W.J. Bleier. 1993. White Great Gray Owl. R.W. Nero. 1991. Blue Prairie Nat. 25:127-133. U.S. Dept. Agriculture, Jay 49:31. Man. Wildl. Branch, Box 14, 1945 St. Denver Wildl. Res. Center, N.D. Field Stn., N.D. James St., Winnipeg, Man. R3H 0W9 (Photo- State Univ., Fargo, ND 58105-5517 (Ulna length graphs showed the totally white plumage of an of 4261 males collectedin the prairie provinces, adultGreat Gray Owl. It was nottotally albinistic in Montana, the Dakotas, Minnesota and Wisconsin that its eyes were the normalyellow color.) MKM showed a tendency to increase with latitude and longitude,the longestbeing in centralAlberta and Second albino Great Gray Owl sighted in western Saskatchewan and shortest in eastern Manitoba. G. Holland.1991. Blue Jay49:32. 129 Minnesotaand westernWisconsin.) MKM BurlingtonWay, Winnipeg,Man. R3Y 1C1 (Adult Great Gray Owl with normallycolored facial disc Post-hatch brood amalgamation in Lesser and eyes, but otherwisetotally white plumage.) Scaup: female behavior and return rates, and MKM duckling survival. A.D. Afton. 1993. Prairie Nat. 25:227-235. U.S. Fish & Wildl. Serv., Louisiana The practicedeye. Female dabblingducks. K. Coop. Fish & Wildl. Res. Unit, Louisiana State Kaufman. 1988. Am. Birds 42:1203-1205. Ameri- Univ., Baton Rouge, LA 70803 (Time budgets of can Birds, 700 Broadway,New York, NY 10003 females in Manitoba marked with nasal saddles (Brief review,stressing bill size and shape and did notdiffer between those with single broods and head patterns.)MKM those with amalgamated broods, return rates fol- lowingthe breedingseason were similar,and duck- Recognizable forms. Subspecies of the Dark- ling survivalto age class II did not differ statisti- eyed Junco. R. Pittaway.1993. Ont. Birds11:101- cally.) MKM 105. Box619, Minden,Ont. K0M 2K0 (Reviewof

Jul.-Sep. 1994 North AmericanBird Bander Page 105 Seasonal population dynamics of Dark-eyed were found in a check of 75 Swainson's Hawk nests Juncos from western Oregon. D.L. Swanson. in southeastern Alberta in 1993, when only four of 1992. J. Field Ornithol.63:268-275. Dept. of Biol., 21 FerruginousHawk nests were occupied. Five Univ. S. Dak., 414E Clark St., Vermillion, SD 57069- young Ferruginous Hawks were banded. Five 2390 (Birdswere capturedand banded,and BBL young Merlinsfrom two nests were also banded.) recordsexamined.) RCT MKM

Longevity records of the Bristle-thighedCur- NON-NORTH AMERICAN BANDING RESULTS lew: an extension. J.S. Marks. 1992. J. Field Ornithol. 63:309-310. Div. Biol. Sci., Univ. Montana, Birdringing in Namibia.C.J. Brown.1991. Safring Missoula,MT 59812 (23 years, 10 months.)RCT News 20:53-57. Ornithol.Sect., Ministryof Wildl., Conservationand Tourism, Private Bag 13306, Use of habitat and perches, causes of mortal- Windhoek,Namibia (Brlef history from 1964-1965, Ity, and time until dispersal in post-fledglng with tables of bandingefforts, 20 most commonly American Kestrels. D.E. Varl, E.E. Klaas, andT. M. banded birds and recoveriesfrom 1980 to 1990.) Loughin.1993. J. FieldOrnithol. 64:169-178. Iowa MKM Coop.Fish & Wildl.Res. Unit,ISU,Ames, IA50011 (Kestrels were radio-taggedjust before leaving. First capture dates of Lesser Honeyguidesat Highmortality occurred during the firstweek.) RCT two locations in the southwestern Cape Prov- ince. G.D. Underhill and L.G. Underhill. 1992. The Peregrines of Padre Island. T. Gallagher. SafringNews 21:7-10. Avian DermographyUnit, 1992. Living Bird 11(3):14-20. Cornell Lab. of Dept. of Stat. Sci., Univ. of Cape Town, Ornithol.,159 SapsuckerWoods Rd., Ithaca, NY Rondebosch,7700, South Africa (A range expan- 14850 (The Padre Island Peregrine Falcon Sur- sion of the LesserHoneyguide is documentedwell vey spends a month each fall and springstudying by netting,which shows this speciesto be present Peregrines,watching their behavior,trapping and year-round,not just in summer.A very low recap- bandingthem, and collectingfalcon blood samples ture rate suggestsconsiderable local movement.) for DNA and contaminantanalysis.) CIS MKM

Vegetative characteristics of Lesser Prairie Longevity of Dune Larks in the Namid Desert. Chicken brood foraging sites. T.Z. Rileyand C.A. J.B. Williams.1992. SafringNews21:17-18. Dept. Davis. 1993. Prairie Nat. 25:243-248. Dept. of Fish of Physiol.,College of Medicine,Univ. of Arizona, & Wildl. Sciences, New Mex. State Univ., Las Tucson,AZ 85724 (Threerecoveries of previously Cruces, NM 88003 (Radio telemetry helped de- banded birdsshow that the only passerineable to fine vegetativecharacteristics of areas used by residepermanently in the Namid Desertcan live broods and indicated diurnal differences in brood nearly six years.) MKM sites.) MKM Report on the 1990-1991 ringing year. T.B. Apparent age-segregation of Dunlln within Oatley.1992. Safring News21:22-31. Univ. of Cape Bolinas Lagoon: a preliminary study. N.D. Town, Private Bag, Rondebosch,Cape 7700, Warnock.1990. Wader Study Group Bull. 60:27- SouthAfrica (An Arctic Tern banded in Swedenin 30. Wildl. & Fish. Bioh, Univ. California, Davis, CA 1964 was recovered in South Africa in 1990, set- 95616-5270 (Color-bandedDunlin were classified ting a Europeanlongevity record of 26 years 4 as juvenile or adult. Proportionsof the two age months,but stillshort of the 34-year North Ameri- classesdiffered from one feedingarea to another.) can record.) MKM MKM Red-ringedRed-winged Starlings. T. Oatleyand Summer '93 -- a catastrophic year for Ferrugi- M. Fraser.1992. SafringNews21:43-49.Avian De- nous and Swainson's Hawks. E.T. Jones. 1993. mographicUnit, Dept. of StatisticalSci., Univ.of Alta. Nat. 23(4):14. 43 WestbrookDr., Edmonton, Cspe Town,Rondebosch, Cape 7700, South Af- Alta.T6J 2C8 (Onlyten bandableyoung in sixnests rica (The first326 starlingsbanded in an opportu-

Page 106 North American Bird Bander Jul.-Sep. 1994 nistic study produced 21 recoveries and numer- ley usingwing-tagged birds. Helpers at the nest ous resightings,showing considerably more wan- increasedthe numberof younga pair couldfledge. dering by this speciesthan suspectedpreviously. Helperswere closelyrelated to the breedingpair, Some data on body mass, molt, and life history thusensuring indirectly their own genetic makeup.) are given.) MKM CIS

Habitat change by Cape Sugarbirds and Ashorebirdbanding program at CoquimboBay, Orangebreasted Sunbirds in an apparent re- Chile: some general observations and com- sponse to fire in old mountianfymbos. M. Fraser ments. E. Tabilo, M. Sallaberry and J.P. Myers. and L. McMahon. 1992. Safring News 21:51-54 1990. Wader Study Group Bull. 60:34-37. Sandbands, Kenmuir Steps, Hopkirk Way, Departmentode Biologiay Quimica,Facultad de Glencairn,7795, South Afrida (A considerablein- Ciencias, Universidad de la Serena, Casillo 599, crease in net captures of Orangebreasted Sun- La Serena, Chile (Monofilamentnets were used birds and a smaller increase in Sugarbirdsin early to captureshorebirds as part of a Panamanian 1992 was thoughtto be relatedto fire in an area of Shorebird Program in which birds were color- more preferredhabitat about a year earlier.)MKM banded. 450 birds of 22 shorebird species were studied from 1984 to 1987, includinga Western Brood affinities by Greater Striped Swallows Sandpiper2000 km. farthersouth than knownto Hirundo cucullata caught at the nest. G.H. Bra- occurpreviously. Resightings have provided intra- dley. 1993. Safring News 22:3-4. 10 Koster Rd., and inter-yearsite fidelitydata.) MKM Elma Park, Edenvale 1610, SouthAfrica (After be- ing banded, no parentsdeserted nests at any stage Ringing of waders in Spain: the current situa- of the nestingcycle.) MKM tion. A. Barbosa and B. Asensio. 1990. Wader Study GroupBull. 59:30-32. Museo Nacionalde Diet of nestling Little Swifts Apus affinis at a Ciencia Naturales, Jose Guitierez Abascal, 2, Transvaal colony. G.H. Bradley.1993. Safring 28006 Madrid, Spain (24,472 shorebirdsof 38 News 22:11-14. 10 Koster Rd., Elma Park, specieswere bandedin Spain between1957 and Edenvale 1610, SouthAfrica (Based on prey items 1958, with 228 recoveries. Numbers for each spe- carried by adults netted en route to their nests.) cies are tabulated for two areas and recoveries of MKM foreign-bandedbirds are mappedby province,as are densitiesof recoveries.) MKM Swallow ringing in the Netherlands and south- ern Africa: the Botswana swallow project. B. MKM = Martin K. McNicholl van den BrinkandT. M. van der Have. 1993. Safring CIS = Catherine I. Sandell News 22:27-30. Zomerdijk 86, 8079 TL RCT = Robert C. Tweit Noordeinde,The Netherlands(The 29 African re- coveries of 311,631 swallows banded in the Neth- erlandsare mapped.After pilot studies in Botswana and Namibia in 1988 and 1989 showed swallow roosts of about half a million birds in Botswana, a banding project was started there in the northern winter of 1992-1993, with 5761 European swal- lows trapped, includingfive banded previouslyin Europe(Estonia, France, Spain and Sweden)and one from Isreal.) MKM

Family ties. N.J. Demongand S.T. Emlen. 1992. Living Bird 11(1):26-31. Cornell Univ., Ithaca, NY 14850 (Studies of altruistic behavior in White- fronted Bee-eaters were conducted in the Rift Val-

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